Cape.



W. W. PELTON.

CAPE.

APPLIUATION FILED APR.23,1908.

Patented Oct. 12,1909.

ANDREW. a. Gamm co. FHow-unencnuusns. wAswNorcn. uA c,

UNITED STATES FAENT FFH).

WILLIAM W. PELTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAPE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM IV. PEL'roN,

` a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Capes, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates to water proof capes for postmen. Its object is to provide such a cape which will fully protect the user while permitting ready access to the mail bag or pouch carried by the user upon one of his shoulders and hanging at his side in the ordinary manner.

The invention consists in a cape so cut and shaped that the front of the person of the carrier is protected; that there is an opening at the side running approximately from the neck to a point below the hand when in ordinary hanging or depending position so that access to the mail pouch may be readily had therethrough, this in combination'with a peculiar form of strap fastened at the open edge of the cape whereby the arm of the user which is adjacent to that edge of the cape is practically as fully protected as though there were a regular sleeve over it.

The invention also consists in other minor details which will be hereafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a front view of the cape of this invention. Fig. 2 is a developed plan view of the cape showing it in spread out form except as to one edge where the strap has been applied for forming the sleeve. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a postman wearing the cape illustrating the manner in which it protects him. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a portion ofthe cape adjacent to the edge and to the arm strap showing in detail the way in which one edge of the cape is formed into a sleeve.

Forms of the cape heretofore used have had an opening directly in the front of the wearer but this sort of a cape is very objectionable for the reason that it is impossible to open it to obtain access to a mail sack thereunder without seriously exposing the person of the wearer to rain. The cape of this invention is therefore provided having-an opening o, CZ, in a diagonalA direction Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led April 23, 1908.

Patented Oct. 12, 1909. Serial No. 428,850.

from the neck opening e to the point Z at the side of the wearer, the front of the wearer being fully protected by the portion of the cape as shown. Through this front portion a hand slot or opening g may be provided as shown in Fig. et as is well known in the art of capes but this opening may be omitted if desired without departing from the invention.

On the edge of the cape adjacent to the portion 7L which protects the arm of the user adjacent to his mail sack z' is provided a strap 7c approximately perpendicular to the edge c, (l of the cape and also connected at a point Z on the body of the cape, sufficiently distant from the edge o, (Z, so that it insures the forming of a curved sleeve portion m adjacent to the edge thereof which fully protects the arm a of the user.

In the view shown in Fig. 4 the postman -has turned his hand o at an angle to the edge of the cape so that it projects in front thereof but when it and his arm are straight and in line with the shoulder at any position, the cape j and sleeve portion m will fall over the hand and arm and thereby affording the same sleeve protection against rain or storm. This sleeve effect is produced, to a large extent by the fact that the material of the cape between the fastenings of the strap is greater in width than the length of the strap.

By this construction a cape is formed which affords protection to the postman; to his sack and to the hand and arm adjacent to the sack while rendering access to the sack very easy.

The claims are:

l. A cape for use of postmen or the like of such a size that it entirely surrounds the body of the user, the line of opening of the cape being approximately diagonal from a point at the collar at the side of the front center of the neck to a point in the bottom edge of the cape at the side of the user so that said opening runs approximately down the arm of the user, said cape being provided with a strap adjacent to the free side edge of the cape and perpendicular thereto so as to form a sleeve effect out of the edge of the cape over the arm of the user adjacent to said edge of the cape.

2. The combination of a cape made of any suitable materal'havng an open edge hangwhereby a semlsleeve effect is formed in the 111g adJacent to the users arm5 and a strap lnateflal of the Cape.

perpendicular to the edOe of the Cape llavino /7 one end secured adjactent thereto and thro) XX ILLIAM VV PELTON other end secured to the body of the cape lVtnesses:

at a distance from the first fastening mate- WALTER V. TAGG, I'ally greater than the length of the strap WVM. J. BURKHART. 

